\u00a9 shutterstock\/Bernhard Staehli<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nProfessor Essack explained: \u201cClimate change compromises the ecological and environmental integrity of living systems and enables pathogens to increasingly cause disease.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe impact on water systems, food-producing animals and crops threatens global food supply.<\/p>\n
\u201cHuman activities associated with population growth and transport, together with climate change, increase antibiotic resistance and the spread of water-borne and vector-borne diseases of humans, animals and plants.\u201d<\/p>\n
Impacts of warming temperatures<\/h3>\n Temperature, as it is for all life, is crucial to bacterial processes and infections, highlighting how the planet\u2019s current climate warming trajectory is of pivotal concern.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs temperatures increase with climate change, bacterial infection rates may increase, and diseases can spread to higher altitudes and latitudes where they were not previously found.<\/p>\n
\u201cExamples include rising temperatures in water systems contributing to the better survival of\u00a0Campylobacter,\u00a0Salmonella<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Vibrio\u00a0<\/em>species that cause water-borne and food-borne diseases.\u00a0Candida auris<\/em>\u00a0has gained thermo-tolerance and salinity (salt) tolerance in wetland ecosystems.\u00a0Escherichia coli<\/em>\u00a0and some of the ESKAPE pathogens grow optimally at 32-36\u00b0 C.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cThe increased temperatures and incidence and prevalence of infectious diseases will increase antimicrobial use and subsequent selection pressure for resistance \u2013 or, in other words, make it easier for microbes to develop antimicrobial resistance.\u201d<\/p>\n
The climate crisis must be addressed now<\/h3>\n According to findings outlined in the 2021 climate report, sea levels are escalating at the swiftest pace observed in the last 3,000 years.<\/p>\n
Additionally, both Arctic and Antarctic ice are undergoing rapid melting and retreat. Disturbingly, there are reports indicating the release of antimicrobial resistance genes from permafrost in regions like Siberia and Alaska.<\/p>\n
Essack is calling on political intervention and cooperation to solve this imperative global issue: \u201cClimate change has facilitated movement and proliferation of antimicrobial resistance.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo deal with this threat, we will need unequivocal political leadership and commitment; strong global and local policy frameworks and governance; evidence-based, innovative \u2018One Health\u2019 solutions, and implementation research to adapt successful interventions to country contexts.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThese partnerships must include a wide range of societal interests that will suspend interests of individual sectors for the public good.<\/p>\n
\u201cInitiatives that aim to make progress in climate change or antimicrobial resistance should join forces and highlight each other to make clear their mutual benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
New research suggests that the effects of climate change are rapidly increasing the threat of antimicrobial resistance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":46745,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10551],"tags":[689,24360],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Antimicrobial resistance threat increasing due to climate change<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n